


For Lovers Who Hesitate

by xingdaerights



Category: EXO (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, EXO - Freeform, EXOVelvet, F/M, Kyoshi Warriors - Freeform, Red Velvet, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 10:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30037191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xingdaerights/pseuds/xingdaerights
Summary: The mind forgets. The heart remembers. People say that you won't ever fail to remember the face of your beloved. Would love still be the same if the bearer of that face is not the one you loved anymore?
Relationships: Kim Minseok | Xiumin & Park Sooyoung | Joy
Kudos: 1





	For Lovers Who Hesitate

**Author's Note:**

> It is the cleanest version of this fic. I wrote this when I joined the 2nd EXOVelvet Writers Fest, which happened last December 2020-January 2021. The one I submitted was indeed embarrassing on my part, so if you want to check this out, it's better to read this than the last one. Thank you!

**Αρχή**

Another powerful explosion occurred near their area. The girl's grip on her beloved's hand tightened. There were scattered pieces of ice around, and the similar smell of rotten eggs was strong.

_"I am right here...I will never let anything bad happen to you. I promise,"_ as he slowly patted her shoulders to calm her down.

_"I want to leave this place. Please. Let's go away."_ Fear was evident in the woman's trembling voice.

The man held her face and wiped away her tears. He took the device out of the pocket of his pants.

_"Let's find a safe place first. I already called both of our families as well as the other remaining inhabitants on this planet."_

Two minutes passed, but the explosions still did not stop. Fortunately, the man saw a snowboard nearby. He pulled his wife, and they quickly rode the vehicle to get away from the place. When they arrived at the basement of the headquarters, their families were already conducting a meeting.

The lady's hands were still shaking. She did not expect to witness a series of volcanic eruptions near their house of her lover. After they got married, they decided to live far away from their families. Her mother immediately went to her and hugged her tightly. She was surely stunned because of what happened. 

Their planet was called δύο κόσμοι κλειδωμένοι (TWO WORLDS LOCKED). Two worlds locked revolved around its parent star, but it always kept the one side from the sun. The other half was covered in ice, while the other side was filled with volcanoes. The phenomenon was similar to the satellites of Jupiter and Saturn of the Milky Way Galaxy. 

_"The foreseen events of the Great Founder in her dreams are already happening. It's fortunate that we already have the equipment to escape this place before it self-destructs," said their leader._

The plan to evacuate started. Men were busy preparing the rocket ships. On the other hand, women were in charge of packing essential things.

" _Everyone! Let's gather for a minute_ ," said their leader.

There were only 25 families on this planet, and you could hear the heavy breathing of every person in the room. Children were clinging to their mothers. They already knew about the coming extinction of their home. There was no other way to survive other than to leave while they still could.

_"We're going to leave in 20 minutes. Make sure to have all your important belongings with you. I know it is a tough time...We don't even know what's ahead of us on that planet, but still, we have to try."_

The leader's wife came to her partner. She enveloped her in a hug and put her forehead into the forehead of the leader. Tears started to fall. Several sobs echoed, and they all went to hug each other. 

Later on, the emergency lights and siren started. Inhabitants stood in a straight line leading to their respective rocket ships. Each ship was suitable for two persons only.

The man tightened his hold on his wife's hand. The woman reciprocated.

_"We express our sincerest gratitude to our Great Founder for helping us. Unfortunately, we have to leave everything on this planet. However, we will always cherish the memories that are shared here. I hope you will guide us on our way to the place you said to us."_

Everyone entered their rocket ships. The girl took charge of maneuvering it. 

_"Are you ready?"_

_Destination Earth. Destination Earth. The ship will take off at 5...4...3....2...1!_

Several months passed, and they're still in space. They took turns in driving the ship. It would probably take a week to reach the Earth finally.

_"Love…"_

The man slowly opened his eyes. " _Hmm? What's the matter? Are you okay?"_ He lightly pushed away the strands of hair that covered the woman's right eye.

_"I'm just wondering...What if we get separated once we land on Earth?"_

The man reached for her right hand. " _I will never let that happen. Don't overthink. Everything will be fine."_

His wife looked at him with dread in her eyes but still managed to give him a small smile.

_Life in the vast space feels empty for me, but it is bearable because I have him._

A few moments after...

" ** _Do you think we have identical beings on that planet?_ ** _"_

The woman turned to him. Her eyebrows furrowed.

All they know was they share the same genetic lineage with the inhabitants on Earth. They became aware because of their Great Founder, who happened to visit the place in the past. 

" _That makes me afraid._ " She whispered under her breath.

_"I think they're harmless."_

_"I hope so."_

The man suddenly stood up from his seat. His eyes widened as he looked upon the bright lights coming from the Earth's surface. The woman could not help but stare at her lover. _I hope we can live here peacefully._

_Attention! We're entering the Earth. Attention! We're entering the Earth! Brace yourselves!_

They called their families through their communication devices. They planned to land in the Arctic region because it has the same temperature as the other half of their planet, which is habitable.

The rocket ships penetrated the exosphere successfully. However, as they went on to the thermosphere, the vessel began to flash warning signs. It was starting to catch fire! It continued as they approached the mesosphere. Both of them were holding on to each other. The woman could not help but scream. Her husband took a wire rope and tied himself to her wife. He grabbed her waist and pushed the button, which expelled them from the ship. After 3 seconds, it turned into dust. He closed his eyes and opened his hands. Suddenly, both of them were covered with thick ice.

Unfortunately, he could not hold it anymore. The ice broke. As they went through the mesosphere, it melted due to the massive friction. The man tightened his grip on his wife and managed to generate another cover made of ice. He continued to make it thicker, but as he lost his energy, the ice melted as well. The rope connecting them was torn apart. The man passed out in mid-air...

The sun had already set when he regained consciousness. He got minor burns and open wounds all over his body. His ribs felt excruciating pain as he tried to stand up.

_"Joy!"_

He shouted her name—no one's answering. Tears suddenly ran down from his eyes. He persisted in walking despite pain and exhaustion. The temperature was not helping either. It's frigid, but his wounds were out in the open.

" _Joy! Please...Answer me!_ "

Play: [ https://open.spotify.com/track/5UHapOAKPx4TkiCyl6CwJK?si=7negRjQsSEu03i5R_5RR-Q ](https://open.spotify.com/track/5UHapOAKPx4TkiCyl6CwJK?si=7negRjQsSEu03i5R_5RR-Q)

As soon as he said this, his eyes met her eyes. He tried his best to get to her as fast as he could. Tears fell, and he screamed out loud in the middle of the cold, vast field of ice. Her eyes were partially open. Traces of blood from her mouth were visible. An ice shard pierced through her right chest. 

His hands were trembling. He did not know what to do. He tried to reach for her face, but he failed. All he could do was weep.

_"Joy...I...I am sorry…"_

She slowly shook her head and displayed a faint smile. _"No. Don't be sorry."_ She touched his face and wiped his tears.

_"You gave all your best to protect me, and I appreciate that. It's just that...things...are meant to happen this way. It's nice... that I managed to hold on until now. It's nice... it's nice to see your face...before I go, my love."_ She uttered in a weak voice.

He was catching his breath. _"Don't go, please... Don't ever leave me, Joy. You're the only one I have."_

He put his hands in front of her wounded chest and let out his power to slow down her death. 

_"I wish to go, Xiumin. There's nothing we could do. As much as I want to spend the rest of our lives together, mine ends here. I love you. I love you with all my heart. Please. Let me go already."_

Joy knew that if he continued to heal her while he's in pain, it would just do further damage to him.

_"Please…"_

_"I...I love you too, Joy."_

_"I hope you find your happiness here."_

She gave him an assured smile.

He melted the ice shard. After that, he carried his wife in his arms. Her body became heavy but for him, what's heavier during this time was the feeling in his chest. 

He immediately went inside an ice cave. Xiumin created an ice bed and carefully laid her down. He bit his lower lip to stop himself from sobbing. He went outside and spotted yellow pansies not far away from the cave. Tears fell on the flowers' petals. He could not stop himself anymore from crying. Xiumin struck his chest repeatedly, and he fell down on his knees.

He opened the ground covered with ice and softly placed Joy's body. Her face still looked beautiful. He kissed her forehead and dropped the yellow pansies that he picked earlier. 

Ice was his favorite thing. He could not believe that it's this thing that would take Joy away from him. He felt empty. As he walked away from the cave, he felt like his heart was left behind. His vision became blurry. Suddenly, he fell down in the middle.

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**_"_ ** _Where am I?"_

He scanned the place. What caught his eyes was a portrait of a man. And it looked exactly like him. He went near a mirror and stared again at the picture.

_"Oh! You're finally awake!"_ He was taken aback when a lady came in. She was wearing full white makeup and a green-colored kimono. 

_"Who are you?"_

The woman, who looked like in her late 20s, sat near his bed. _"I think I am the one who should ask that."_

She stood up and took a towel inside the drawer of her vanity table. The man was clearly surprised. She went inside her comfort room and came back with a wet towel. Then she began wiping her face.

_"Going back to our conversation, who are you? Why did you pass out in the middle of ice glaciers?"_

_Me? I am… I am…_

_"I can't remember a thing."_

Her eyes widened. _"WHAT?"_

" _I don't know who I am. That's why I was surprised when I saw that."_ He pointed to the portrait.

She looked at it as well, took a deep breath, and bitten her lower lip. She cleared her throat.

" _What's wrong?"_

_"He's my boyfriend...He died a year ago."_

Silence covered the room. _"I am sorry."_

She shook her head. _"No, it's fine. I moved on. It's just...There are times when I miss him. But I am good. I have already accepted it."_

Her make-up was slowly disappearing. The man's heart started to pound hard, and he could not find the answer why.

_Why does she look familiar?_

She offered her hands for a handshake. " _By the way, I am Sooyoung."_

Her name did not ring a bell, but her smile made his heart beat faster.

The young man continued to look at her. " _Oh, this_?" As she pointed at the makeup residue on her face. _"I am a Kyoshi warrior."_

It was his first time hearing the term. 

Sooyoung stood up when someone knocked on the door. Xiumin's eyes were also waiting to see the person. 

_Oh, there are two of them._ Two ladies in their green costumes entered the room, but they still had their full makeup on their faces. Their eyes widened when they saw the young man awake from his long sleep.

It took a month for him. His body was still recuperating, but it's a development that he finally opened his eyes. Sooyoung was patrolling the village's distant area when she saw a man lying down in the ice glaciers. She was dumbfounded when she saw his face to the point that her hands were shaking. She could not believe who's in front of her. At first, she was hesitant to carry him as his body had open wounds, and it looked like his right rib was fractured. But, Sooyoung took the courage and used her strength to bring him into safety. 

" _Do you need anything?"_ The girl with the shortest hair among the two visitors was widely smiling at him.

He shook his head. 

_"I am Seungwan, and my friend right here is Yeri. We're part of the Kyoshi warriors along with Sooyoung, the one who found you."_

Xiumin just nodded. _"You're the Minseok that I know, right?"_ Seungwan asked out of curiosity.

Sooyoung immediately snapped the conversation. She shook her head and grabbed Seungwan's and Yeri's wrists. _"He does not know who he is,"_ she explained while whispering.

" _What do you mean? His memories were gone?"_

Both of them were stunned by what they heard.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Another month passed.

The sun was about to rise, and Sooyoung was already finished with her makeup. Today's her last day in the Northern water tribe because Avatar Kyoshi completed her matters here. They were set to travel to the Southern Air Temple to visit the monks and nuns. The Chief also wanted Avatar Kyoshi to relay a message to Kelsang, Avatar Kyoshi's adoptive father.

" _Are you ready?"_ Sooyoung turned to him, who just finished packing up. The man simply nodded.

Since he gained consciousness, he did not speak unless he was being talked to. His words were enough to answer the questions, but aside from that, he did not bother to prolong the conversations. On the other hand, Sooyoung was just there taking good care of him. He's not talking about it, but deep down her heart, she knew that he was thankful. His efforts to give back her help were evident.

_"What if Minseok did not die? What if it's actually him and just got his memories erased?"_

_"We did not even know what actually happened. His comrades told us that he was not able to survive the fire. What if he actually survived?"_

Seungwan's and Yeri's sentiments continued to occupy her mind. She let out a big sigh while looking at him.

_I don't know._ The thought was absurd, but she was somehow buying it. She was holding onto that little hope that he's her boyfriend, who got separated from her due to unexpected death.

_"Your friends are outside."_ He disrupted her thoughts.

Seungwan and Yeri were already riding the mule-drawn wagon. They waved their hands to Sooyoung. 

_"Oh! Minseok looks handsome as usual,"_ Yeri remarked, then teasingly looked at Sooyoung.

The three of them decided to use Minseok's name for him, and luckily, he just went with it. It was Seungwan's and Yeri's idea.

**Minseok** took Sooyoung's baggage and loaded those in the cart. He went inside then offered his hands to her.

_"I can manage. Thanks."_ She swiftly threw herself inside the cart. The two in the front looked at each other. Yeri just shrugged her shoulders.

" _Avatar Kyoshi told us to go first. I don't know what exactly occurred earlier, but it seems like there's an ongoing problem here in the water tribe. Don't worry because she has Seulgi and Joohyun with her."_ Seungwan informed Sooyoung.

" _Then let's remain vigilant. We still have to ensure that the Avatar will have a safe path,_ " Sooyoung replied.

The trip would take around a week and a half. They had to ride a ship that would cross the ocean between the regions of the Northern Water Tribe and the Southern Air Temple. To get to the exact location, they had to borrow a flying bison from one of the monks residing below the temple.

A day into their trip, they all screamed when the mull lost its balance because the side wheel ruptured. It looked like it bumped into something. Their vehicle almost went down the cliff. Luckily, it got stuck by the firm root of a tree. They held their breath, scared to make any movements that would cause the cart to fall. 

Several footsteps were heard. They saw a man peeked inside the cart. The notable characteristics were thick eyebrows and plump lips, and his gaze was piercing. But what's striking the most about him as of that moment was his grin. Later on, another man who had a soft-looking face and a deep dimple put his arm on the shoulder of the first who peeped inside.

" _Where's the Avatar?"_

Sooyoung turned to Seungwan and Yeri, who was barely holding onto the sides. 

" _What do you want?"_

He chuckled. His eyes got bigger as he laughed. Then he stopped for a while. _"Nothing. I was just asking. Do you need help?"_

_"Of course! We do need your help!"_ Seungwan shouted.

He stepped back for a bit and took a deep breath. Then he simultaneously threw a firm punch in the air and a kick on the ground. Suddenly, Earth surfaced under the wagon, which served as a support. He then moved his hands, and the wagon was back into the pathway. Minseok helped Sooyoung to stand up.

" _Thank you,"_ Seungwan spoke to the man. 

His grin came back, and he looked at the man beside him. The man went to Seungwan and Yeri, who got some minor scratches on their arms and faces.

_Something's not right, especially with that earth bender. I wonder what he's up to._ Sooyoung thought. Her forehead creased, and she looked intently at the two strangers. 

" _I am Kyungsoo, and he's Jiashuai,"_ then he directed his index finger at the man who was healing Seungwan and Yeri.

Play: [ https://open.spotify.com/track/0pqnGHJpmpxLKifKRmU6WP?si=_-4BeltpQiSYsB-XvWDIkw ](https://open.spotify.com/track/0pqnGHJpmpxLKifKRmU6WP?si=_-4BeltpQiSYsB-XvWDIkw)

Sooyoung held her golden fans tightly. " _Step back,"_ she firmly said to Jiashuai. She turned to Kyungsoo and pointed at him using her weapon. The two guys raised their hands in the air, but Kyungsoo still had this smirk while Jiashuai remained calm.

_"Is this how a Kyoshi warrior repay people who helped them?"_ Kyungsoo asked.

Minseok tried to reach for her. _"Move,"_ Sooyoung remarked. She looked at the protruding ground on the road where the wheel of the wagon hit.

" _If you want to face the Avatar, you have to go through us first,"_ she stated with conviction.

Seungwan and Yeri held their ground and were now on their fighting form.

_"Bold of you to taunt us when you're just a bunch of girls with makeup,"_ Kyungsoo snapped.

Sooyoung smirked. _"Try us then."_

Right after that statement, Kyungsoo immediately threw an attack at her, which she swiftly dodged. The man moved his hands and catapulted large pieces of rock to her. She was able to duck from Kyungsoo's charge.

" _Is that all you're going to do? Avoid my attacks?"_ Kyungsoo shouted, challenging the dauntless woman.

Sooyoung let out a burst of scornful laughter. She knew that Kyungsoo was trying to lure her so that he could counter abruptly if she attacks. On the other hand, Seungwan and Yeri took down Jiashuai promptly. They tied him to a tree and covered his mouth. He could not fight the two because he's just a healer, and he only knew the basic fighting skills.

Sooyoung jumped on the surfaced Earth that Kyungsoo moved earlier. She lifted her kimono and fished out the shurikens underneath. She quickly flung the weapons toward Kyungsoo's direction, in which the man successfully eluded.

_"Sooyoung!"_ called by Minseok. She looked at him, and he was immediately thrown out from his position because Kyungsoo used Earth bending to throw him out. Seungwan and Yeri rushed to take down Kyungsoo. Sooyoung ran toward Kyungsoo as well. Yeri managed to use her shurikens and got him hung up in the body of a tree. Seungwan got metal chains and tied his hands and feet together while Sooyoung climbed the trunk and covered Kyungsoo's eyes. They tied his body to the tree. He was screaming out loud; that's why the warriors decided to cover his mouth as well.

Sooyoung hurriedly went to Minseok. He got some scratches, and he could not walk properly. " _Where were you hurt? Tell me!"_ Worry was evident in her voice. _"I am fine. How about you?"_ He replied. She ran to the wagon and took the medicine supply given by the healers of the water tribe. Meanwhile, Jiashuai struggled to break free from the tight binding of the rope around him. 

" _Oh, right! He's a healer,"_ Sooyoung remarked. She looked at him straight in the eyes and said with gritted teeth, " _You will heal him. This is an order if you want to stay alive. Got it?"_ Jiashuai nodded. Then she released him.

Jiashuai asked for a small amount of water. After Yeri gave him some from their drinking bottle, the water suddenly covered his right hand. He put it above Minseok's limbs. A light gleamed from it. 

_"Thank you,"_ Minseok uttered. 

_"What should we do with him?"_ Seungwan and Yeri came back to their senses when Sooyoung asked that.

She picked up the rope on the ground.

_____________________________________________________________________________

" _I am Jin Zhongda. Is it okay if I use both of you as my model for my painting?"_ A young man holding a canvas and a paintbrush approached Minseok and Sooyoung, who were sitting at their parked wagon, watching the people who were having fun. 

They looked at each other. Minseok nodded. She was hesitant at first, but her face lit up with his response. " _Sounds good to me. Thanks!"_ Minseok replied to the painter.

The team temporarily stopped at a festival in a village they found in the middle of the trip. Seungwan and Yeri went away to watch the circus. They used this opportunity to give time to Sooyoung and Minseok. Most especially to their friend, Sooyoung.

_"I will now start,"_ said the young man.

Play: [ https://open.spotify.com/track/3Ml2s37uS9jqRM2R3bfDiB?si=Ph6GFCSsTKuAhAJSXVOdeA ](https://open.spotify.com/track/3Ml2s37uS9jqRM2R3bfDiB?si=Ph6GFCSsTKuAhAJSXVOdeA)

Minseok's arm was on her shoulder. She glanced at him, and he was widely smiling. Her heart fluttered with what she saw. He turned to her. _I hope that it's really you._ Minseok caressed her face. _She looks beautiful._ He gave her a warm smile.

The artist smiled at the sight. He made sure to capture this in his memory so that he would be able to show it in the painting.

Seungwan and Yeri were carrying the food and _sake_ they bought when they met the painter and the two. They held each other's hands in excitement and were smiling widely. Both of them watched the whole process.

It only took half an hour for the artist to finish the artwork. His eyes sparkled as he scanned the image. He handed it to them. Sooyoung gasped. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. _It looks exactly like the painting that I have with him._ Minseok, on the other hand, his mouth agape because he could not believe it. A few moments later, Sooyoung went away, and she grabbed the _sake_ out of Yeri's hands.

They tried to follow her, but she shouted at the top of her lungs. _"Let me be alone for a while! Please!"_ Her voice broke. All along, she believed that she already moved on when the truth is, she's still holding on to this hope that he's alive.

Sooyoung reached a vast field not far from the village. She clutched her chest as she tried to catch her breath. Her sobs also continued. She threw the lid and poured the sake on her mouth. Little did she know that they followed her. Seungwan, who was trying to stop herself from crying, hugged Yeri. It was evident that it was difficult for them to see their friend in that situation. While Minseok was all quiet as he watched her. However, you could see that he was biting his lips, and his hands were balled into fists. _I want to be with her. I want to give her comfort, but I feel like I should not._

_"She's a product of a broken family,"_ Seungwan said, pertaining to Sooyoung, who was staring into the void at that time. She wiped her tears and continued, _"Her father was a drunkard and abusive. Sooyoung's still mad at him until now, and I completely understand that. He was the reason why her mother died. Avatar Kyoshi adopted Sooyoung, and eventually, she joined the Kyoshi warriors. Minseok, who was her boyfriend back then, they're childhood friends. We're all non-benders. Before she got to know us, he was the one who stood by her in all of her ups and downs. Unfortunately, he died due to an acci--. SOOYOUNG!"_

She was not able to continue when they saw Kyungsoo holding Sooyoung, who passed out. Minseok ran after them. Seungwan and Yeri followed as well. They stopped when he dropped her body beside the river. 

_"Bring me to the Avatar while I'm nice,"_ he warned them. He formed an earth shard and pointed it towards Sooyoung's neck. As soon as he said this, Sooyoung moved and kicked him on his knee. He lost his balance. However, he got a hold of her using earth bending. He grabbed her by the hair and pointed the earth shard at her neck. " _You decide,"_ Kyungsoo stated to Minseok, Yeri, and Seungwan.

Kyungsoo was about to stab her when suddenly, his body could not move. He was covered with thick ice! Minseok managed to get Sooyoung out of Kyungsoo's hold.

They were all stunned. He's the first ice bender to exist. And that only meant one thing.

_"Are you okay?"_ The girls asked her, but she was not speaking. Tears were just flowing from her eyes. _"Hey, Sooyoung!"_ Yeri exclaimed. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

After days of travel, they finally reached their destination.

Sooyoung was seated under the shade of an apple tree beside the temple when Xiumin sat beside her. 

" _You haven't talked to me since that night_ ," Xiumin uttered in a low voice. Sooyoung was just looking down, staring at her hands.

_"I sincerely apologize because I could not tell you. When I saw you on the verge of death,"_ He took a deep breath. "-- _that's when my memories suddenly rushed in._ "

Sooyoung was taken aback. " _You look exactly like my past lover. I don't know how to explain this,"_ He continued.

" _It's ridiculous, right? How my boyfriend looks exactly like you and how I look exactly like your beloved._ " She said this while looking at him straight in the eye.

_"Minseok… I mean.. You.."_ She stopped for a while. " _Can't_ _we just forget about this?"_ A tear fell. _I feel so pathetic._

He looked away and firmly said, _"I am sorry, Sooyoung."_

Her hands were shaking. " _I am just going to ask you this…"_ She gulped. _"Those times when we were together, you did not feel something for me? What's with the push and pull?"_

" _My mind and heart were struggling. I didn't mean to hurt you, Sooyoung."_

She chuckled. " _But you just did."_ With a heavy heart, Sooyoung stood up and walked away from him.

_"Sooyoung…"_ He took a step, but he stopped and just let her walk away.

__________________________________________________________________________

Play: [ https://open.spotify.com/track/0Kn76iH0efjWXOD7pKk1Dw?si=ZGWJ8OquTh26Xd0x8bGcuQ ](https://open.spotify.com/track/0Kn76iH0efjWXOD7pKk1Dw?si=ZGWJ8OquTh26Xd0x8bGcuQ)

" _Not everyone will achieve it_ ," Xiumin told those who aspire to achieve the state of Nirvana. " _One has to enter and feel the state of bliss and enlightenment. But to do that, you have to let go of all your earthly desires."_ He clearly maintained.

"T _eacher?_ " Someone from the group called his attention. When their eyes met, he asked this question, " _What was the thing that you have let go of? Was it worth it?"_

He was stupefied. _I don't know._ All of them were waiting for his answer. 

He spent all these years helping people to attain Nirvana. He was also able to teach the water benders the art of ice bending. He knew himself. He's not a human, so he did not have to let go of that earthly desire. It's just that...he wanted her to reach Nirvana. _Was my decision worth it? I haven't heard from her since then._

On the other side, Sooyoung became preoccupied with helping the Avatar with her mission. She joined the Camellia-Peony War and was able to come back alive. She did not marry. She had not met anyone after that confrontation, which occurred two decades ago. 

One time, she visited Seungwan's house. Yeri, Seulgi, and Joohyun were also there. All of them had their respective families. It's only Sooyoung who decided to spend all of her life helping people and the Avatar.

_"I guess you're really motivated to reach that state,"_ Yeri commented. Sooyoung let out a short laugh. _Will it be possible for me? I don't think so._

" _Oh! Look! It's snowing!_ " Seulgi and Joohyun simultaneously shouted. 

The memory of saving him in the middle of an ice glacier came back to her. The winter season always reminded her of him.

_It's okay to feel the pain of missing you rather than having lingering feelings…_

**THE END.**


End file.
